Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The first table depicts the difference in the total number inhabitants of New York City. The second and third tables present difference in the inhabitants of five districts of the city, specifically Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island between 1800 and 2000.

Overall, the total population of the city increased significantly in all five districts. At the start of the period Manhattan had the most amount of residents but over the period of three centuries, the population of the other four districts combined was greater than the one of Manhattan.

In 1800, the population of New York City was 79,216, 76% of this number came from Manhattan while 24% was from the other four districts. In just a century the city's population increased almost fourty times to over 3.4 million residents. In 1900, the overall percentage of Manhattan fell yo 54% while the population of the other districts almost doubled to 46%.

At the end of the period, this trend continued, the city's population almost doubled to over 8 million residents. Districts other than manhattan peaked at 81% of the city's population while Manhattan's population fell to 19%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main pattern clearly: the city grew substantially, while Manhattan’s share declined and the combined share of the other districts rose. The overview also correctly notes that Manhattan was dominant initially but was overtaken by the other districts collectively. Relevant figures support this, including the 1800 shares and the 2000 proportions. However, some details are imprecise or incomplete. The other districts’ population did not “almost double” from 1900 to 2000; it rose from about 1.59 million to 6.47 million. Likewise, saying the city’s population “almost doubled” at the end understates growth from 3.44 million to 8.01 million. The response also does not report the actual Manhattan population decline after 1900. More precise comparisons and figures would make the coverage fuller.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear four-paragraph structure, moving from an introduction and overview to chronological details. Time markers such as “In 1800,” “In just a century,” and “At the end of the period” help readers follow the sequence, and the contrast between Manhattan and the other districts is easy to understand. Some linking and referencing are less controlled, however. In “At the end of the period, this trend continued,” the trend is not fully specified, and the sentence then combines the city’s growth with the changing district shares. The overview’s “all five districts” also suggests individual district growth, although the data are grouped for the four non-Manhattan districts. More explicit links between each figure and its comparison would strengthen progression and make cohesion less dependent on repeated time markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of task-related vocabulary, including “total population,” “percentage,” “increased,” “fell,” and “peaked,” and the meaning is generally clear. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “depicts” and “at the end of the period.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “difference in the total number inhabitants” does not express change clearly, and “the most amount of residents” is an awkward collocation. “The one of Manhattan” is also unclear, while “fourty” and “yo” are spelling or typing errors. Repetition of “population” and “districts” is understandable but could be reduced through precise alternatives such as “residents,” “share,” or “combined figure.” Greater accuracy in collocation and spelling would improve the overall control of vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the contrastive clause “but over the period of three centuries” and the time clause “In just a century.” Most sentences communicate the intended comparisons, and the paragraphing helps contain the effects of errors. Some grammatical problems remain. The opening phrase needs a determiner and plural form (“the total number of inhabitants”), and “the population of the other four districts combined was greater than the one of Manhattan” has an unclear comparison structure. In “At the end of the period, this trend continued, the city's population…,” a comma joins two independent clauses; use a full stop or a conjunction. The sentence “Overall, the total population of the city increased significantly in all five districts” also has a faulty relationship between the city total and district populations. More consistently accurate sentence construction would lift the response.

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